largemouth bass

Late Monday morning I received an e-mail asking about a quick fishing trip to shoot some video for a web project. Since the weather was sunny and warm I agreed and loaded my fishing equipment. Once at the boat launch on Megunticook Lake in Camden though I was nervous. It is getting late in the season and the water temperatures are getting low. Maybe the fish would not cooperate.

This has been an excellent fall for fishing and today continued the pattern. This morning dawned cloudy and gradually cleared. The afternoon was cloudless and sunny with a pretty strong breeze out of the southwest. The fall color is getting brighter every day making for some stunning scenery.

Just to prove that I am not perfect. Yesterday morning I picked up my clients at the Samoset Resort and headed to Megunticook Lake in Camden for a morning of bass fishing. Everything pretty normal, pleasant clients and perfect September weather. I pulled into the parking lot and made ready to launch. When I went to put the drain plug in the stern it would not tighten. I removed it and tried to make an adjustment with my pliers. The bolt in the center of the plug simply broke off.

Noah our oldest son is home for a few days between the end of his summer job and the start of classes at the College of the Atlantic next week. We took a couple of hours and went fishing one afternoon. Actually my school of perch had changed where they were hanging out and I needed to look for them. At any rate Noah caught this bass on our outing. A very nice fish anywhere. Oh by the way I know why the perch moved out of this cove!

I have been doing lots of fishing trips with families this week. I had back to back family trips Saturday and Sunday both times fishing for bass. When you have two or three lines in the water the opportunity for catching several fish at the same time is always there but it usually does not happen.

Yesterday was a perfect summer day. Warm but not hot, clear followed by a cloudless warm evening. This morning dawned foggy and cool but by mid morning the fog had lifted and the sea breeze was strengthening. Clouds began to cover the sky heralding another evening of rain showers.

The rain on Friday fell heavily and I knew that it made the Saint George rise quickly but got quite a surprise this morning on arrival at the boat launch on Megunticook Lake in Camden. The parking lot was almost completely covered with water! I had arranged to meet my client at his rental cottage on the lake so I had to launch. I was able to pull into the parking area and launch the boat into the flooded parking lot.

Those of you that fish are no doubt using some soft plastic baits. They are effective for bass and I have used plastic tails when fishing for perch, bass and stripers over the years. Recent research done by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (press release here) indicates that there is a problem with these baits when they are lost or discarded.

Yesterday afternoon was my first trip on Megunticook Lake for the season. The sky was clear and there was a chilly breeze out of the northwest. I was prospecting for guided trips over the next few weeks and I like what I saw.

The eagles are back nesting on the lake providing multiple opportunities to see them perched, on the nest and flying. Loons have returned in good numbers and I saw several pairs, one pair in particular seemed to have a nest in a cove that they were pretty interested in having me not around.

I have always enjoyed fall fishing and the first week of October has been well worth the effort this year. I have spent most days bass fishing on a few ponds and enjoyed some good fishing.